The present invention is in the technical field of collecting solar energy. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of systems that provide an infrastructure for the mounting of solar energy collection devices to the rooftop of a commercial structure\dwelling such that the solar energy collection devices are optimally orientated to the radiation emitted by the sun, as it traverses the sky, from sunrise to sunset. The tracker assembly may also be implemented on patio covers, car ports, parking lot shade structures, and the like.
Prior practice, with respect to the attachment of solar energy collection devices to commercial structures\dwellings, such as photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, is to arrange the solar panels in an array, attaching each panel to the structure's rooftop. In this case, the panels may be arranged in an array mounted flat, or flush, to the dwelling's roofline; mounted in rows wherein each row is tilted at a favorable angle to the sun, typically the location's latitude; arranged in rows wherein each row is, in turn, attached to a single axis tracker system; or arranged in rows or other groupings, wherein each grouping of solar panels is attached to a dual axis tracker system.
Each of these configurations has their advantages and disadvantages. An advantage of the stationary flush mount configuration is that it permits the greatest number of solar panels to be mounted to the structure, thereby providing the greatest utilization of rooftop area. A disadvantage of the stationary flush mount configuration is that the panels are not optimally orientated to the position of the sun, other than when the sun is normal or perpendicular to the panel surface, thereby reducing the overall efficiency of the system. Another disadvantage of this configuration is that when the panels are configured contiguously in a large array, maintenance of any one panel in the array can be problematic. In most cases, each panel is rigidly attached to its underlying roof attachment structure and may not be easily removed. In these cases, maintenance personnel are forced to walk on top of the glass covered solar panels, thereby risking damage to each panel traversed.
An advantage of the single and dual axis tracker mount configurations is that these approaches provide for higher efficiency output per panel, since each panel is more optimally orientated towards the sun during the course of the day. A disadvantage of such tracking configurations is that, due to shading, adjacent rows of panels are typically not mounted contiguous to one another, but, rather, are separated by an optimal distance. The separation of adjacent rows results in a poorer utilization of rooftop area and, in turn, reduces the overall efficiency of the system. Another disadvantage of many single and dual axis trackers is that, because the tracker rotates each panel about its longitudinal axis, the standoff height of the panels must be high enough such that when rotated to their extreme, the panel does not contact the dwelling. This increased standoff height presents higher bending moment loads onto the roof attachment structure in the presence of wind forces and is aesthetically undesirable, especially on sloped rooflines which may not have a parapet.